WASTE WATCHERS BLOG

April 22, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders, Earth Day Network has turned Earth Day's 50th anniversary into a digital event. Continue reading for more information on Earth Day 2020 and to learn how your business can participate. Read the post to learn more!

  April 22, 2020, marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. In 1970, an estimated 20 million people celebrated the first Earth Day by joining together in parks, streets, and universities to promote a healthy planet. Since then, billions of people across the globe participate in Earth Day, making it the largest secular observance in the world. But this year, individuals and organizations will celebrate Earth Day differently. In response to the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic and stay-at-home orders, Earth Day Network has turned Earth Day's 50th anniversary into a digital event. Whether you're an environmental enthusiast or just learning about Earth Day, there are still numerous ways to celebrate this year and make a difference! Continue reading for more information on Earth Day 2020 and to learn how your business can participate.

Businesses and consumers are becoming more aware of the negative impacts Styrofoam has on the environment and wondering how they can help mitigate the problem. To help you get started, this post covers everything you need to know about Styrofoam and the negative environmental impacts associated with it, as well as tips for reducing or eliminating it at your business.

  For decades Styrofoam has been one of the most commonly used plastics because it is lightweight, durable, and inexpensive. However, businesses and consumers are becoming more aware of the negative impacts it has on the environment and wondering how they can help mitigate the problem. If your business generates Styrofoam waste, don't worry, there's a lot of things you can do to reduce or eliminate it! To help you get started, this post covers everything you need to know about Styrofoam and the negative environmental impacts associated with it, as well as tips for reducing or eliminating it at your business. Continue reading to learn more! What Is Styrofoam? Styrofoam, identified by the plastic #6 symbol, is a trademarked brand name for expanded polystyrene (EPS), a plastic material frequently used to create a variety of consumer products. Styrofoam is a preferred material in the packaging and food industries because it is lightweight (95% air!), has insulation properties that keep food and drinks hot or cold, and is durable enough to protect items during shipping. In practice, Styrofoam is most often used for coffee cups, home insulation, packing materials, carry-out cartons, and egg cartons. Although Styrofoam is known to be cost-effective, it is very difficult and costly to recycle. Most recycling facilities are unable to process EPS because, unlike other plastics, it is bulky and often contaminated. Its brittle form means it easily breaks into tiny pieces and disperses, an additional complexity for recyclers.

Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United States, businesses and individuals throughout the country have been impacted by this pandemic in numerous ways. We created a blog post to address COVID-19's impact on the waste and recycling industry, how it may temporarily effect your waste and recycling services, and safety measures the industry is taking to keep businesses and workers safe.

  Since the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in the United States, businesses and individuals throughout the country have been impacted by this pandemic in numerous ways. The waste and recycling industry’s essential role means that services will continue, but stakeholders are keeping a close eye on how to ensure the safety of businesses, waste workers, and communities at this time. We realize you probably have questions about this, so we created a blog post to address COVID-19's impact on the waste and recycling industry, how it may temporarily effect your waste and recycling services, and safety measures the industry is taking to keep businesses and workers safe. Continue reading for more details.

It's estimated that 31% of our food supply is wasted or lost, impacting everything from food security and the environment to businesses and our economy. Luckily, businesses large and small can implement food waste reduction strategies and help turn the tide and make a positive impact! In this post, where we explain the food waste problem in greater detail and share how your business can engage in its own food waste reduction practices.

  There's no hiding it: the food waste problem in the United States is substantial and complicated. It's estimated that 31% of our food supply is wasted or lost, impacting everything from food security and the environment to businesses and our economy. Luckily, businesses large and small can implement food waste reduction strategies and help turn the tide and make a positive impact! But before you get started, you'll want to familiarize yourself with the information in this post, where we explain the food waste problem in greater detail and share how your business can engage in its own food waste reduction practices. Read on to learn more!

Pop quiz time: Are bottle caps recyclable? Do materials need separated for recycling? Will biodegradable items decompose in landfill? Chances are, these questions have been brought up at your workplace before. We get it; recycling can be confusing, and sometimes it can seem impossible to find reliable answers to these questions. In this post, we bust some of the top recycling myths that you may have been wondering about to help your business recycle more successfully!

  Pop quiz time: Are bottle caps recyclable? Do materials need separated for recycling? Will biodegradable items decompose in landfill? Chances are, these questions have been brought up at your workplace before. We get it; recycling can be confusing, and sometimes it can seem impossible to find reliable answers to these questions. That's where RoadRunner comes in! In this post, we bust some of the top recycling myths that you may have been wondering about to help your business recycle more successfully!

On March 18th, 2020 the world will come together to celebrate Global Recycling Day: a day dedicated to recognizing and celebrating the importance that recycling plays in preserving our natural resources and securing the future of our planet. In our latest blog post, we're exploring the people, places, and activities that are contributing to a more sustainable planet and embracing the circular economy concept.

Whether you realize it or not, there's a good chance you and your co-workers have all wishcycled before. Trust me, we get it! You don't want to generate more waste, so you throw your coffee cups or pizza boxes into the recycling bin, hoping that some way, somehow, they end up being recycled. In the recycling industry, we refer to this act as wishcycling. Even though it seems like the right thing to do, wishcycling is one of the biggest challenges facing the recycling industry.

  Whether you realize it or not, there's a good chance you and your co-workers have all wishcycled before. Trust me, we get it! You don't want to generate more waste, so you throw your coffee cups or pizza boxes into the recycling bin, hoping that some way, somehow, they end up being recycled. Here at RoadRunner and throughout the recycling industry, we refer to this act as wishcycling. Even though it seems like the right thing to do, wishcycling is one of the biggest challenges facing the recycling industry. In this blog post, we further define wishcycling, the impacts it has on the recycling industry, and what steps you can take to break the habit.

For a long time, our economy has been linear, but in order to preserve natural resources and reduce the amount of waste we generate, our economy must become circular. In this post, we cover everything you need to know about why we need to transition away from a linear economy, why it's time to start thinking circular, and which brands are embracing the circular economy concept. Read our blog post to learn more about the circular economy.

Team building exercises in the corporate environment go a long way in fostering the problem-solving skills, confidence, and motivation to employees that businesses need to thrive. Many organizations use them to encourage environmental awareness, and build excitement around initiatives. Here are seven team building activities to help strengthen your sustainability program.